“This decision means telephone access to doctors will be significantly limited and this will hit vulnerable patients hardest, including those who do not have access to high bandwidth internet and those who can’t operate the necessary IT systems,” he mentioned.
“Which means older sufferers, these with power well being circumstances together with cancers and people who are immune suppressed can have much less entry to care from tomorrow and could also be put at elevated threat of contracting COVID in the event that they now should attend their medical doctors appointment nose to nose.
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“Every day thousands of Australians are required to self-isolate because of a COVID-19 infection and as close contact. Many of these people will not be able to continue to access medical care when they need it.”
“Increased access to Medicare-funded telehealth has played a critical part in the pandemic response, reducing exposure to the virus and supporting people in self-isolation to be able to access critical medical care.
“The Labor Occasion criticized the previous authorities’s pandemic response over the previous two years and in not extending entry to COVID telehealth settings it should now face the identical criticism.
“Though the Government has acknowledged the need for ongoing support of the hospital sector with an extension of COVID-19 hospital funding, it has failed to take a consistent approach when it comes to patients accessing care from their GP or specialist.
“We perceive the Authorities has needed to make lots of choices in a really quick timeframe because it received the election. It seems to the AMA that this determination has been rushed and the AMA will work to encourage the Authorities to rethink its method and put our most susceptible sufferers first.”
Supply: Medindia
